Cybersecurity trends for 2020

We can expect a lot to change in the new year.

Whether it be resolutions we make for ourselves, the must-have fashion, and even the latest viral app. One thing we must keep an eye out for in 2020 is the latest cybersecurity trends and how they’ll affect our personal and professional lives.

Targeted ransomware

In the past, we’ve seen some pretty major ransomware attacks successfully take place with those suffering a huge loss in all types of systems, even backup tools. But in 2020, cybergangs could very well shift their focus to smaller ransomware attacks.

With smaller attacks, it’s easier for the criminals to remain anonymous, laundering money is simpler, and they will have fewer people to share the overall profit with. That being said, 2020 could also lead to more companies refusing to pay the demands of the ransom attackers, which will lead to an increase in exfiltration and personal data being leaked to the public.

SEE ALSO: How AI assists in threat analytics and ensures better cybersecurity

Phishing attacks beyond email

There’s nothing new about a phishing scam being sent to your email. In fact, I received a phishing email from “iTunes” just this morning.

However, in 2020 we’ll see mobile being the primary source for phishing attacks. This is because email software is becoming better at spotting, and stopping, phishing emails before they reach our inbox. The same can’t be said for our smartphones.

Because of this, our social networking accounts are left at risk, and we’ll see more phishing attempts come through via messaging apps and text messages.

Breaches within 5G networks

The global adoption of 5G technology is upon us…whether we want it or not. Going hand-in-hand with 5G networks are an increase in edge computing and even more connected IoT devices. This will inevitably cause an issue with confidentiality, authentication, data security, and availability.

Essentially, 5G will have the same security issues as 4G and 3G of the past, just turned up a notch. Malicious actors will continue to intercept phone calls, track our locations, and get their hands on sensitive information.

In the realm of IoT devices, millions (or even billions) of newly supported connected sensors and devices will have their own specific vulnerabilities. This hyperconnectivity will only make privacy harder to come by and easier to lose.

Increase in facial recognition transactions and authentication

One thing that can’t be hacked — your face.

As authentication moves from two-factor authentication to multi-factor authentication and biometrics, we’ll be able to use facial recognition as a way to prove we are who we say we are. This could potentially cause a decrease in credential theft, identity theft, and insider attacks.

While the most common use of facial recognition we use today is to unlock our smartphones, we are likely to see facial recognition become more common as a replacement for typical passwords in 2020.

More vehicle hacking and data theft

Our cars have more technology than ever before. From Apple CarPlay to various in-car communications, and even advanced GPS devices, they make for an increasingly viable target for hackers and data thieves alike.

That being said, these types of criminals are quickly learning and finding new ways to hack into private networks through our smart devices. Because of this, our vehicles are fast becoming the go-to device to access a vast amount of data, due to the fact that they’re able to collect and store so much information daily.

When hackers access our vehicles, they’ll be able to access email accounts, and other personal information, using cloud services where the data is stored and analyzed. They will then harvest and resell our personal data on the black market to other cybercriminals.

Not only this, but we are also in danger of these criminals hacking into our vehicle and taking over various safety features and controls. Sounds like something out of a movie, right? Unfortunately, it’s likely to become more common in 2020 and we’ll likely see an increase in discussions over how safe self-driving vehicles really are.

SEE ALSO: Is chaos engineering the key to lockdown cybersecurity?

A rise in AI

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and we’re bound to see even more of it in 2020. Not only is it being researched as a way to improve our daily lives, but it’s also being scrutinized and learned by cybercriminals.

While we currently use AI pinpoint patterns of behavior that can be the first sign of an attempted attack or data breach, it can also be taught to adapt and disguise these same tactics to trick our first lines of defense.

While AI systems are slated to become more advanced and complex in 2020, so will phishing email attempts and DDoS attacks. Thankfully, the more technology created with AI and deep learning security algorithms that is available to us, the better our chances to avoid becoming a victim to these types of cybercrimes.

New year, new threats

With the new year comes advanced technology and both old and new ways for us to fall victim to various cyber scams. With more and more of our personal information on our devices, it’s more important than ever before to take an extra step to keep our data secure in the new year.

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